Yes, you read that right! In 1989, Taroon Coomar Bhadhuri wrote for the Illustrated Weekly of India that Amitabh Bachchan was not your typical film star.He refuted rumours that Amitabh married Jaya only because she was a big star, noting that Amitabh waited for the success of Zanjeer before marrying her. Bhadhuri emphasized that Jaya, known for her strong will and determination since childhood, would have married Amitabh regardless of his success.
Taroon described how Big B reached out to Jaya’s mother, inviting them to Mumbai for the wedding. He explained that they quickly arrived in Mumbai to organize a ‘secret marriage’ on June 3, 1973. Although the specifics of how they managed to keep the marriage private and arrange it in the home of family friends, the Pandits, at Malabar Hill are not necessary to detail now, there is more to the story.
Jaya’s mother wanted a traditional Bengali wedding, which made finding a Bengali priest on short notice challenging. The priest initially objected to conducting the ceremony due to the difference in castes between Jaya, a Bengali Brahmin, and Amit, a non-Bengali and non-Brahmin. After some negotiation, the issue was resolved. Amit followed all the rituals sincerely, and the wedding continued into the early morning. The couple then flew to London and, upon returning, attended a reception in Bhopal where Amit complied with all arrangements.
He also addressed rumours that he and his wife were opposed to Jaya and Amitabh’s marriage. He questioned why they would have had any objections, pointing out that Amitabh was a charming individual who worked tirelessly to succeed in the film industry. Despite early setbacks, he persevered and proposed to Jaya only after his film Zanjeer became a hit. The idea that they would object due to Amitabh not being a Bengali or Brahmin seemed absurd to him.
He also mentioned that another of his daughters is married to a non-Brahmin and that his second daughter is wed to a Roman Catholic. He noted that both his elderly parents, as well as he and his wife, celebrated and blessed all three marriages. His father, a proud Brahmin, believed in supporting their happiness, saying, “It is their life. If they are happy, so should we be.”
Jaya and Big B have been married for over 50 years. They share two children, Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, and three grandchildren: Agastya Nanda, Navya Naveli Nanda, and Aaradhya Bachchan.
